Preparations which are used to clean and care for the human skin and hair generally contain one or more surface-active substances, more especially based on anionic or amphoteric surfactants. Since the sole use of surfactants would excessively dry out the skin and hair, it is standard practice to add refatting agents to preparations of the type in question. It is obvious that these substances are expected to have not only an adequate refatting effect, but also--in line with market requirements--optimal dermatological compatibility.
German patent DE-C2 4139935 (Kao) describes liquid water-based body washes which contain 5 to 35% by weight of anionic surfactants, 2.5 to 15% by weight of alkyl polyglucosides and 0.5 to 15% by weight of saturated fatty acid monoglycerides containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the fatty acyl group. Unfortunately, the monoglycerides proposed in this document do not have adequate dermatological compatibility, even in admixture with glucosides. In addition, in the absence of water, the mixtures are generally solid and, for this reason, cannot be cold-processed. European patent EP-B1 0554292 (Henkel) describes o/w emulsions containing oils, alkyl polyglucosides, fatty acid partial glycerides and optionally fatty alcohols. These mixtures are also not entirely satisfactory in their refatting effect, their dermatological compatibility and their consistency in the absence of water. Finally, European patent application EP-A1 0538762 (Kao) describes hair treatment compositions containing cationic surfactants, alkyl polyglucosides and oils including, for example, fatty acid monoglycerides.
Accordingly, the complex problem addressed by the present invention was to provide refatting agents free from ethylene oxide which--at one and the same time--would be liquid at room temperature, would have thickening properties and, in particular, would show particularly high dermatological compatibility.